


Seine and Semiotics

by peoriapeoria



Series: Fitter of the Species [30]
Category: Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. References, Canon Character of Color, Deconstruction of Tropes, Easter Eggs, F/M, Fantastic Four Mention, Female Steve Rogers, Not Spider-Man: Homecoming Compliant, Original Atlantean Character, POV Sam Wilson, Romantic Comedy, Safer Sex, Trope Subversion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 02:14:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15402720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peoriapeoria/pseuds/peoriapeoria
Summary: Meet cute among superheroes--Sam Wilson investigates an anomaly and flies.





	Seine and Semiotics

Sam hurtled at an angle towards the street, shooting robots. At the intersection, he spread his wings and gained elevation. He and Vision were the Avengers' flyers since Sokovia. "How cheap are these things to put together?" He was clearly missing the economics of supervillainy.

"Not cheap enough for their sense of tactics. Your anomaly has been sighted." Coulson intoned over the open comm channel.

Sam had yet to lay eyes on the Blue Lady Godiva. By the time he scrambled into his rig she had managed to disappear when he tried to see her. Her appearances were too far out for any other means unless he wanted to camp on one of the ferries.

"This battle is over, go check out the reports." Steve sounded a little disappointed.

Sam was torn but acknowledged they were well into the mop-up phase. He took the next turn towards the water. "JARVIS, what do you have for me?"

"She's generating quite a wake but is too far out for clear phone photos."

That was at least something. It meant she couldn't be too close to a ferry. The possibility she was a distraction for some covert move was vanishing unless someone had deep pockets and was cocky. Neither was exactly rare.

She on the other hand was. Sam focused his goggles on her, letting JARVIS get a good look too. She was not actually nude, her swimsuit was just incredibly well matched to her blue skin. He could see this as her wake threw to either side of her standing. There was no boat. No skis that he could see nor a Skidoo. Just a blue bathing beauty churning up the water.

Sam looped so he could drop in to pace her. He smiled when they aligned.

She smiled back. There seemed to be nothing she needed to do to keep moving over the water.

That was less true for Sam. He barrel rolled a turn then popped into a loop. For him going slow involved a fair amount of reverse so throwing in flourishes kept his lateral movement in check.

She gave him the slip. Very smooth, she had put them into an intercept of the more usual water traffic while he was not paying close attention. He pulled up for a clean avoid, but that was going to make the social media rounds. Port Authority and the Coast Guard would remind him of this when it least suited him.

No sign of her. Nothing on the water was short enough to take her onboard so quickly unless she had more powers. He judged the distance to harbor, any harbor. He didn't know where she'd have hidden a rebreather. It wasn't a large two-piece.

* * *

He landed on the Tower's flight deck and let JARVIS valet service the wings from him. That was peak science-fiction, hands down. He stepped inside, Darcy handing him a warm glass mug. Hot mug, he held his free hand around it not against. He took a sip. It was good. Exactly what a brisk day called for. "What favor are you angling for?"

"I can't do something nice without having ulterior motives?" She waited a moment. "Not that I don't have ulterior motives. I do, but I figured it's still cold out there. Nothing bad, we're into a poetry unit and I think you'd be better at reading at least half of the selections."

Right. Kurt, as well as Wanda and Pietro, had studies which Darcy was overseeing. Stark Industries had hired food service professionals and leisure coaches to keep R&D watered, fed and exercised. "Any particular reason?"

"Poetry is meant to be heard, and I'm not the definitive voice for at least half of American writing."

"Paul Beatty?"

"Yes!" Darcy looked at him. "Please save me from too much YouTube."

He finished his drink, then passed her the mug. "Okay, I'll come read to your class. Just remember when my mom needs Political Scientists for her students, you're headhunting."

"Ooh. Thanks, Sam!" She kissed him on the cheek and headed for the kitchen.

He belatedly realized this might mean his mom and Darcy would meet. He needed a shower; fight and then salt spray wasn't comfortable. He walked to the elevator and headed up.

* * *

He needed to learn her name. Sam approached and put on a bit of an aerial show. It wasn't good tactics; she'd be able to extrapolate his flight capabilities. He was, however, believing she was a lone actor just enjoying her powers. Her waterskiing powers.

She dived. She popped back up before he finished starting being frustrated. She repeated the dive and pop.

"JARVIS, can you get any visual under the water?"

"I will be able to process the video. You'll have to view it on your return."

Sam timed a smooth glide pass over for her underwater portion of the program. He did a rolling break, thinking she was about to pop up; crowding a lady wasn't on docket.

She put on an above water long program at a remove. Having both feet on the water wasn't a requirement apparently. "JARVIS, you are getting this?"

"Yes. I judge that the 'waterskiing' is new. Her swimming is superior."

"How superior?"

"Double black diamond to bunny hill."

Her waterskiing wasn't bunny hill. He gained altitude. "JARVIS, patch Steve in on the footage." He hadn't considered a non-standard human gaining new powers.

"What's wrong, Sam?"

"Wrong unconfirmed. Different, affirmative."

"I see what you mean. Use your best judgment; it would be good to make contact."

The threat assessments he had made were shredded by the new intel. Still, no point drawing attention if you could be about your plans without any at all. They needed to add some cameras for these sorts of recognizance missions. Using his goggles as a camera was less than ideal when his subject wasn't where he was flying.

Sam broke his sortie once JARVIS had a good variety of footage, surface and below water. Contact wasn't being made today. He flew high to clear the jangle in his mind. "Has Johnny flown around her?"

Steve answered, "I'll check in with Sue."

Sam peeled through Manhattan.

* * *

Sam was reviewing the footage. It was not that she was doing anything special underwater; in fact, her swimming was effortless. He didn't think being able to breathe caused her any concern. Likely enough, she could breathe underwater.

Where had she been? How long had no one noticed her, until she started playing _on_ the water? Most likely, she hadn't been doing anything of interest. Gaining the ability to zip about on top of the water was a novelty she had embraced; not the tactics of Magneto's Brotherhood.

"JARVIS, Steve, please."

"Steve, what did Sue have to say?"

"May I come over?"

Sam replied, "Sure."

Steve stepped out of the elevator. "They'd been away doing research, and Johnny's on publicity tour now."

Sam nodded. The Fantastic Four had a different funding model, and Johnny was behind that.  
"What do you think's going on?"

"I'm not the one that's been there." Steve smiled.

"Well, if there were aquatic superheroes, she'd be our go-to. She's recently gained the water-skiing ability, and that's harder to keep from prying eyes." Sam grinned.

"I've got the hashtag t-shirts to prove that, and I was just running."

Yeah, Steve had certainly worked the media over using herself as a billboard. "I suppose my next step is being in places obviously, where she can see me." He did wonder just how much visibility she had through the water.

"How cold is it out there?", asked Steve.

It wasn't the cold really. Flight even in the desert got cold because of speed, altitude, and night. "Wet. It's cold and wet."

Steve grimaced. "Clothing has gotten better."

True.

There was a moderately loud ding.

"I better go." Steve got up and headed to the elevator.

Sam shook his head. The Avengers; five percent heroism, mostly situation comedy.

* * *

Naturally, patrolling in the areas she had favored assured she didn't show. Oh, unless there was Avenging. But that was understandable, two appointments, they would overlap. He had however improved his selection of Falcon uniform components. Not everything worked out; a few things were too bulky or restricted motion too much, a couple of them were too good at retaining heat. They'd be useful for another purpose. These socks, he was getting more of these socks.

She breached the water.

Sam tightened his circle and spiraled up. He didn't begrudge the ferry passengers, and their opportunity was limited by the usual capabilities of phone cameras. He'd gotten in more flight time not vexed by skyscraper related turbulence, so his aerial program had picked up some sweet moves. The question was, would she agree? Only one way to find out.

He barrel rolled. As he came out, he veered right and pulled up, tipping to knife above the water. He brought his left wing over and dived into a dogfight turn.

She was doing a wide circle, skimming over the water.

Sam corkscrew spun up, falling into a loop. At the bottom the second time he went into a wide wheel like a red-tail hawk.

She waved one blue hand and sped up. He couldn't quite follow everything into words; there were leaps and jumps, turns, flips, spins, and dives. Her exits from the water were quick, possibly propelled by whatever the waterski effect was.

She called out to him. Not in English.

Sam hadn't considered a language barrier. "I'm Sam. Are you a tourist or are you here for work?" If she spoke or understood English that should start a conversation.

"Meu nome é Zyphri."

He thought he caught her name that time. "¿Tú nombre es Zyphri? Soy Sam."

"Você mergulha no ar como um golfinho."

"I'm a porpoise with a purpose." He switched into Spanish. "I'm also known as Falcon. It's a kind of bird. They're animals that swim in the air." Sam switched back into English, his Spanish not up to this use. "I'm an Avenger. We are based here; are you local?"

She replied; Sam caught a few words, noticing how they differed from Spanish.

"If I may, she has asked how you fly without a plane," JARVIS commented.

Sam wondered why JARVIS had delayed until now. He swept in a circle, back to the center and wings on edge. "How do I ask about her dancing on the water's surface?"

JARVIS laid out some verse.

Sam repeated it, he thought credibly.

Zyphri responded. "Amigo" was the only word he was sure of, and context mattered.

"She's wondering where you hide your friend. Your more eloquent friend."

Sam in Spanish answered, "He's radioing in but not as seamlessly as he might." He continued in English, "I don't speak the language you do, and the one I do that's closest I don't speak very well. My friend noticed I was floundering and tried to give me a hand."

She answered him, leaving him adrift.

JARVIS responded in not Spanish and Sam did his best to relay. "What did I just say?"

"Do not worry, it was clear what was being said was your eloquent friend."

Sam couldn't make out what Zyphri was saying and then she was gone. "What did I miss?"

"The last chance to make a first impression." JARVIS intoned.

Sam headed for the Tower. At least he could order more socks.

* * *

Natasha was standing in his kitchen pulling items out of a messenger bag. Groceries, she was putting raisins in his cabinet and celery in his crisper. Those were the most distinct items. He supposed that explained a lot.

"Did you walk in on Steve and Bruce?"

Natasha turned, her face in a great "please" expression. Subtle. "I bought cookies."

He closed on the counter. Pryaniki! "Good day?"

"You're back early."

He had cut his ocean review short and just took a meander through Manhattan after. Apparently, JARVIS had no instructions regarding his return. He hadn't spotted Zyphri since their actual meeting; it didn't seem anyone with a camera had. For now, he was reminding himself of the delays experienced before speaking to her. She had a life.

He rounded the island. "I had a date with a hot dish." He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a lasagne pan, hip checking the door. "Want to stay?"

Natasha opened his refrigerator, raiding the crisper. "I will prepare a salad."

Sam got down a skillet and tossed Natasha the partial loaf of bread from the box. He added olive oil to the pan. She had cubed bread for him as the oil was hot. She added finely chopped garlic. He kept the croutons moving.

"We could start with the salad, and I'll pull out dinner when it's hot?"

Natasha nodded and served in wooden bowls the salad. Sam added the toasty garlic croutons. She added a spoonful of sour cream to hers and a splash of chili pepper vinegar. Sam shook his head. "I'm going olive oil and vinegar." He matched action to words.

They took their seats at the counter, and they talked about her recent travels, Sam getting out the main meal once it was ready and serving. Natasha put on his kettle as he packed up the leftovers and put them in the fridge. He got down a patterned plate for the teacakes. Natasha piled them onto it and headed for his couch. He brought the glasses over to the sitting area, seeing she'd already taken the jam.

Sam looked at the cookies, taking one only after Natasha did. He bit into it. He savored the bite. "We need to stop sleeping together."

Natasha got up to deal with the tea. Sam took another bite. He popped the small remainder in his mouth. Natasha returned with the coffee server/teapot.

"Why?" Natasha sat, pouring them each tea. She set the pot down and stirred in a spoonful of jam into her tea.

He was hopeful, despite the language barrier. "Changed situation. I wasn't looking to date, now I am."

Natasha sipped her tea. "Any other changes?"

"No." He hoped eventually she'd have a need to confirm if he was alone, but that was the cart before the horse. She had to have protocols for stealing into his quarters anyway.

"Okay." Natasha nibbled another pryaniki and drank more tea.

Okay? Sam tried to parse that until he realized either she meant it, or he'd die in his sleep and either way it wasn't worth worrying about. The latter wasn't particularly likely. Sam continued drinking tea and eating cookies with Natasha.

* * *

Zyphri walked, following the land-dwellers between the cliff buildings. She could glance at the ones ahead to either side and stay at the speed of the school she was among.

"Any of you not blue?"

Zyphri kept walking. With so many land-dwellers, they couldn't all know Sam. Who should she ask?

"I could warm you up."

Zyphri considered the people as she continued moving forward. They wore a lot of clothing, such that most of them she could only see their faces. This had been true of Sam, but his clothing skimmed his body, so the air could pass over him like the ocean.

"Ya must be the moon cause I'm drawn like the tide."

Perhaps Sam would feel the same if only she could find him. He'd need space for his wings.

"I could help you with your staple."

What? She stopped, land-dwellers walking around and past her. The man gripped her by the arms and looked down.

"Right, National Pornographic doesn't use staples." He stepped in trying to pull her to him.

She leaned back and flipped over, swinging him into an upright, then grabbed him stunned and tossed him into a convenient, rigid, trap. He wasn't its first piece of trash. Several land-dwellers had stopped. They started slapping their hands together.

"Ik ben op zoek naar Sam. Falcon."

"The Falcon? She's looking for the Falcon." The land-dweller looked at the others.

"Good taste. You're real close-" confided another.

"You need Avengers Tower, 200 Park Ave." The smiling land-dwellers pointed further inland. She'd seen numbers on the cliffs.

"Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, Park Avenue." The tall brown woman smiled, nodded and kept moving.

So, these flows of craft had names. That explained how the land-dwellers knew where they were going. She made for where many people were schooling at an intersection, crossing with them. She walked, using the helpful instructions to keep going. And then she saw a building with an outcrop. That had to be where Sam soared into the air.

Zyphri entered the spinning airlock, stepping back from it inside seeking to understand. It was warmer in here. There were partial chambers, so no more than a little of the inside air was lost and outside air scooped in.

"Ma'am, the elevator will take you up."

She went into the hall nodded to, stepping through the open door. It closed.

"Sam ficará feliz em te ver."

On a hunch, she repeated a bit of the poem Sam had told her.

"Eu sou JARVIS."

"Jarvis." The door opened then, and Zyphri stepped out. "Sam."

"Zyphri!"

Apparently, Jarvis hadn't alerted his friend nor had the guard below. "We hebben elkaar gemist."

"That's closer to English. Ships in the night?" Sam spread his arms wide, "Welcome!"

She reached out with her hand, closing it when Sam met it with one of his. His smile was appealing.

* * *

Sam held onto Zyphri's hand. He had a lot of questions, but at least finding her wasn't one of them. "So, this is where I live. I can give you the tour?"

Zyphri nodded. He looked around, and... "That's the kitchen, with eating area. This is the main sitting area." Open plan really did do that, made ones patter poor. "Out this way is a little patio, it doesn't go outside, but one can run into Captain America." At least on the patio competition was to do nothing or eat. Sam didn't draw. Sometimes he and Steve split the paper or exchanged magazines.

And that was his half of the floor. She'd seen the elevator, and he wasn't even considering pointing out his bedroom. "So, how did you find me?" He realized he'd not given her much to go on. Sam noticed she was barefoot.

"I looked. Took out the trash on the way."

Sam noticed she was speaking English. "You just put that together, now? Right? You weren't just messing with me not speaking English?"

She smiled. "What's this?" She walked to the hot tub's surround.

Sam rolled his head to one side. Maybe talking wasn't the whole point.

* * *

King Namor pulled himself up with one hand and stood on Manhattan. He looked at the land-dweller city as he drip dried, then opened his small bundle. He put on his royal cloak, securing the single clasp of the vestlette below his sternum.

Atlantis had helped these people years before, only to have the seas filled with floating undecaying refuse and fish stolen. Now his people were being changed in strange ways. He would have answers!

Avengers. The tower wore the name proudly. It looked a good place to start. The revolving door reminded him of his last time here on the island.

"Elevator, down the hall."

Good, the herald understood his importance. He was surprised on stepping into the elevator there was no attendant. The doors closed anyway. He considered his options, noting the movement of the car. The doors opened onto a floor with a view of the city, a palatial room allowing for the furnishing tastes of land-dwellers.

"Captain Rogers!" She could be no one else, unreasonable as that was.

"Your Highness." She stood; at least the unflattering uniform was no more.

"I'm king; how do you yet live?"

"Your Majesty, charming as ever. So, what brings you to New York?"

"The many outrages against my watery realm."

Steve scratched the back of her neck, a most edifying sight.

"Yeah, I figure that's the right of that. Let me guess, sea turtles with soda rings, global warming, and fishery depletion? I miss anything?"

Clearly, he wasn't wrong. She was the same woman. "You know of these things and do nothing about them. And forget to mention the direct assault on the Atlantean people!"

"Let's start there. What direct assault?" Steve sat back down.

Namor also took a seat. "Something has changed ten of my subjects, including one who lost their gills off their very neck." She had the grace to wince at that terrible fate. The specifics of the others' transformations might be lost on a land-dweller.

"Does one of them waterski?" Steve inquired.

One of his affected subjects did, in fact, have the ability to breathe air and take to the surface of the ocean. What did the Captain know of this...

The elevator opened again, a man exiting. "Steve, I've got a few bits of paperwork, oh, you're not alone. Um,"

"Agent Coulson, just the man to assist King Namor. He's got subjects with some sort of waterborne, something."

"Your Majesty. Perhaps you could be more specific?" He was not so impertinent to sit without leave. That was a change from Steve's old companions.

Steve had stood. "I'm going to clear my schedule, you'll be in good hands with Agent Coulson in the meantime. Feel free to start on the sea turtles without me." Steve walked to the elevator.

* * *

Sam had never expected to have an audience with a date's sovereign. There was nothing right with that sentence, really any more than Phil having important information about a woman he- yeah, this was what he got throwing in with Steve. Little sandwiches made it no less surreal.

"So the quinjet got dropped into the water, and no one thought that the Terrigen would be a problem?" Sam wondered how that wasn't obvious.

"More that containing it was beyond- No, that's a cop-out. This is why good paperwork is so important; the people that could have taken control didn't get told it had happened."

Sam looked for the heavens parting and Clint appearing in a drape. He could swear that was Phil admitting he was wrong. Pretty sure, without it being closed-captioned.

"I find it unacceptable that you are presenting that the only reason more Atlanteans weren't affected is the rapacious fishing techniques land-dwellers use." Namor sipped from a teacup.

"Naturally, we will want to confer with Atlantis about your affected people. Oh, and how to recognize the metal that must have sunk."

Sam couldn't look at Namor. Phil had stopped talking like he'd realized something two seconds too late. Something about the metal. Right, the metal that made Hunter field amputate his fiancee's arm. That was important intel. Why not tell Namor?

Because it was a weapon. Homo mermanus were all Kree science projects, so likely it would only prove a delay to them, not a lethal hazard. Given the other complaints King Namor had, telling him he had a tactical weapon lying around on the ocean floor just waiting to be lashed to a spear?

"The dumping and the excessive fishing must stop. I will have satisfaction on these issues."

Steve nodded. "I agree. However, I'm not the one that needs to be convinced. I do know some people that can change minds and influence policy. Could I consult with them and get back to you with a timeline and strategy?"

This never got old, seeing Steve say extremely reasonable things when they couldn't possibly be sufficient.

"Very well. Zyphri, you shall return with me." Namor set down his teacup.

Zyphri hugged Sam, murmuring into his far ear "I'll see you on the water."

Steve looked at Zyphri. "Could she be the Crown's envoy?"

"I will consider the request, Captain Rogers." King Namor swept into the elevator, Zyphri following.

* * *

Sam came off the landing deck onto the common floor. JARVIS would be assessing the new equipment performance.

"Hi, Sam."

Zyphri. "So, did you get the job?"

She tilted her head, hair shifting from her ear. "There were so many candidates for my Sire to choose from. It does come with some perks." She kissed Sam.

Sam smiled. He hadn't expected her today, so that was in his favor. "Are you working up here?"

"Darcy and JARVIS are assisting me today, there's a lot to learn about the surface world. I'm on a bit of a break, and you were expected."

Sam shifted a little. "Thanks, JARVIS."

"My pleasure."

Sam arched his brow at that. "How long is this break? Are you set for lunch?"

"A little longer. I've brought fish."

He nodded. "What else do you eat?"

"There are a lot of different fish. Seaweed," she clapped her hands together moving them along, opening and closing.

"Scallops? The hinge is straight, and they jet about?"

"Scallops," she repeated the word. "What do you eat, Sam Wilson?"

"Sometimes scallops. Lots of surface foods."

Zyphri kissed him again. "I've got more things to learn." She walked over to the elevator and the door opened for her.

JARVIS liked her. That wasn't bad, just a fact. Sam figured he'd check the communal fridge.

* * *

Sam saw Zyphri a little around the Tower. Less of her because Janet was starting Zyphri's surface wardrobe. None of the outfits looked like they were 'swim and dry'.

He understood she had serious work to accomplish that looking like a Bond girl wouldn't aid. A more comprehensive mode of dress would allow attention to focus on her facts rather than her figure.

"Want the crossword?" offered Steve.

"I thought you just asked me the clues between current events and history?"

"Figured this has be easier to solve than whatever you're thinking over."

Sam took the paper and the pencil. "So, you knew King Namor during the war?"

"He was Prince Namor then, but yes, he was rather upset about the bombing in the Atlantic. The merchant marines weren't any happier; once his people understood about the U-boats he had a better outlet for his ire."

Too bad they couldn't present HYDRA as the source of ocean pollution. "I'm surprised it took him this long to come calling."

Steve was pensive. "The Atlanteans aren't numerous; individually they're more than a match for most anyone from the surface, but a concerted effort could really hurt them. It was the Terrigenesis Event that forced his hand."

"Which would have been worse if most of the contaminated fish hadn't been caught." Sam filled in two answers.

"Possibly. Bruce wonders if the Inhuman Potential is equal between mermanus and sapiens. Talked much with Zyphri?"

Sam stared at Steve. "You just said that."

Steve smiled and nodded. "Yep. Busy isn't the same as uninterested."

Sam shook his head. "Okay, I'll talk to her on her lunch."

JARVIS made a not-throat clearing noise. "She is just about due for her break."

Sam got up and headed back into and through his apartment.

* * *

"Sam!"

"Hi, Zyphri. You about ready for a break?"

"Yes, I am." She stood, kissing Sam. "Good timing." She slid beside him. "Could we go outside?"

"Out on the flight deck? Sure." He headed for the elevator with her, the door opening. "Common Floor." He listened to her explain the things she'd been learning. On the one hand, people were pretty terrible. But people were concerned about that environmental impact, both quantifying it and considering solutions.

On the deck it was breezy and the sun warm. "Would you like to have dinner with me? We could watch some videos, JARVIS can find most anything someone's shot."

"Like with GoPros?"

Sam smiled. "And larger camera equipment, before things got so small. Greenpeace documenting with GoPros?"

"Janet is offering them as part of a diplomatic offer to Atlantis. She thinks dolphins could be good documentary directors."

That, Janet could make work. "So, does tonight work for you? What do you want for dinner?"

"Yes, I would like to have dinner tonight. Do you know what the bobbing fruit are?"

Bobbing fruit? He knew Italian sometimes used 'fruit' for seafood. He noticed how far apart Zyphri held her hands. "A lovely little coconut? Um, they have water inside and white meat?"

"Maybe bobbing fruit are coconut."

Sam could work with possible coconut. "Any preferences about fish?"

"I'm sure you're a good catch."

Okay. No pressure. At least JARVIS could help.

* * *

The cooking didn't take all that long; fortunately, between JARVIS and grocery delivery he had ingredients and recipes in good time. He decided that peas and the coconut should be it for land-sourced foods; there were enough foods with a history of being allergens or otherwise difficult that their first dinner wasn't the time to chance them.

"Zyphri." He met her at the elevator, clasping her hand. He brought her to the counter seating. "First, are either of these" he gestured to the screen playing back both a green and a mature coconut, "a bobbing fruit?"

"The hairy one."

Sam smiled. "So, poached fish, peas with seaweed, and coconut mousse." He served some of the first two onto each of the plates. He cut into his fish and had a bite. It could do with a bit of lime.

Zyphri picked up her knife and fork and followed suit. After she finished chewing and swallowed. "It tastes like the coconut."

"I poached it in the liquid from a green one."

Zyphri smiled and ate another bite of fish, then scooped at the peas. "You said there were videos."

"Um, yeah. You want us to watch something from the ocean or something from on land?"

"Octopus in coconut shell."

"JARVIS, please."

Apparently divers loved the subject. That or octopus knew how to get media attention. It was amusing, and Zyphri clearly agreed. She looked to be enjoying the food too.

"JARVIS, halt please." Zyphri looked at him. "Show me land animals."

Sam took another bite as he thought, then swallowed. "Raccoon kits, please." They watched them wash their food and scamper up a tree among other activities.

"What else you got?"

Sam looked at Zyphri, then stated: "panda leaf-raking". He split his attention between the furry mischief and Zyphri's reaction to same.

Zyphri was nearly done with her entree and side. "They're all in rooms. The raccoons weren't."

"Meerkats, background." Sam looked at them on sentry. "Pandas are endangered; people are trying to fix that, so they get raised in zoos."

"Raccoons aren't endangered."

Sam wondered just what trouble the garbage they got into could cause. "Some animals adapt more to people."

Zyphri ate the rest of her plate's food. "But someone recorded each."

Sam grinned. "Ready for dessert?" He got up and pulled out the two dishes of the coconut mousse, placing one in front of Zyphri and the other at his seat. He picked up his spoon and decided to hold it up.

Zyphri did the same.

He tapped her spoon with his, then dipped his spoon into his dessert. Sam noticed the video had gone to jellyfish. Zyphri seemed to like the mousse.

"This is when we inspect fishhook and net?"

Sam closed his eyes and swallowed the water he had managed not to spit-take or breathe. He looked at Zyphri, who smiled at him, eyes twinkling. "Yeah." He wiped his mouth with his napkin, got up and held out his hand. She let him guide her from the stool, and he placed his hands on her waist. She pressed her cheek against his, then switched sides.

Sam pressed a kiss against her lips. He pulled back, and she pursued. He darted back in.

Zyphri rested her forehead against Sam's patting at his chest. "Take this off?"

"Yeah." Sam guided them into his bedroom. JARVIS' default was to not record video here or in the bathroom. He took his shirt off. Zyphri smoothed her hands over his chest, then from his shoulders down his arms hanging back pulling on his hands.

"Take off my top."

He reeled her in and unbuttoned over her collarbones. He eased her blouse up and over her head. The bra beneath was cute and strapless, nearly her skin tone blue. Sam dipped his head to give her breasts more attention.

Zyphri skated her hands across his pecs and down onto his stomach. She rubbed up his sides lifting his arms. She reached behind her and unfastened her bra, tossing it onto her blouse. Ink blue nipples stood proud of lighter areolas. She unzipped her skirt, stepping out of it.

"Your turn."

Taking off pants really brought home the foibles of being a man. All you could do was push them off quickly and hope a woman was charitable. Purple briefs had seemed right this morning. He tossed his jeans over towards his shirt then closed on her, wrapping Zyphri in his arms.

Zyphri rose up onto the balls of her feet pressing her mound against Sam. She slipped her fingers into the sides of his shorts pulling at his briefs.

"Good thought," Sam said pulling away from nuzzling her collarbone. He reached towards his nightstand, pulling her with and leaning arm outreached. His fingers caught the drawer front, and he reached in for a condom square. Packet in hand he pushed the drawer shut and kissed her leaning in. Opening the foil took two hands and Sam slid off his briefs and rolled the condom on. He drew Zyphri to him hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her panties.

She hemmed him against the bed, and he flipped the covers aside before dropping onto the mattress. She pushed off her underwear and knelt astride him. Sam brushed a thumb against her and Zyphri sank into his lap. Sam clutched the backs of her thighs, easing her up as she lifted and dragging down as she lowered.

Zyphri pushed him back and rolled him on over her; Sam turned them as he thrust. She pulled him down, guiding his arms up past her head, lifting him with the roll of her hips. He latched his mouth to hers, matching her swells with his own motion. She broke the kiss breathing hard thighs straining against his. Her hands clasped his own, and she flipped Sam, drawing up her legs changing their angle as they moved together. Zyphri dragged her palms down Sam's arms raising herself up.

Sam tried to pull her to him, levering himself up against Zyphri; close, he was so close. She rubbed her neck against his, lifting him and seating herself hard. Sam crested and came, her completion breaking over him shortly thereafter.

He basked, hands gentle on her back before easing away to deal with the condom. He kissed her, murmured "be right back" and got up. Sam went into the bathroom, disposed of the condom and cleaned up. Finished he returned to bed by way of his briefs which he pulled back on.

"Sam?" She melted into him as wrapped himself around her.

"Yeah?" Drifting off was seeming a better and better idea.

"I'll keep watch for orcas."

That was nice, cuddling was good. Sam slipped into sleep.

* * *

Sam woke up and noticed the unopened condom packet on his chest. "Zyphri?", he asked half-hard.

"Whales didn't eat you."

It took him a moment to remember the comment he'd not questioned in his post-coital haze. "Thanks." Zyphri dropped beside him.

"Explain." She tapped on the foil square.

Oh. He'd learned that most Atlanteans, Zyphri and Namor excepted, couldn't hold their breath above water much over five minutes. "That's to keep you safe. Sometimes I lose a lot of blood and have to get more; it's a bit of a risk." There was the possibility of unknown contaminants of the blood supply; and also divergent susceptibility which he hadn't been thinking about.

Zyphri picked up the wrapped condom and put it back in the drawer. She got up, but only to retrieve her panties; she returned to bed after putting them on. "Yours is a good fishhook, you are a good catch."

"I'm taken with you too."

"No orcas." Zyphri snuggled in.

"No orcas." Neither of them needed to keep watch.

* * *

Dr. Cho had flown in to consult with Zyphri, and eventually Dr. Bobbi Morse who was working on Inhumans; Dr. Simmons was very busy but available should Dr. Cho need her. He had also been checked out to make sure there weren't any gaps in his vaccinations; he'd gotten several that she thought he should have considering likelihood of Zyphri's exposure.

That and continuing with safer sex protocols was all that was indicated.

* * *

"Falcon, Doc Ock is tearing things apart over at the UN. Please redirect." Steve stated.

Sam heeded the order. "Thought he was Spider-Man's villain." Zyphri, of course, was at the UN today. She had been the past several days.

"Think about that plaza." Steve offered.

Right. While the buildings themselves were tall, there was a lot of empty space where a web-crawler was more like a running bug. Sam flew as fast as he could, knowing how much damage metal claws could do whipping around.

As he got there, he felt the pull as webbing hit him in the chest and Spider-Man used him as an aerial vaulting horse. Having caught Steve falling, this was nothing.

Sam wheeled, trying to see just how much havoc Doc had caused. He was also dodging the snaking arms and keeping useful to Spider-Man. Yeah, he'd skipped security entirely by clawing up the side of the building and busting through a window. From what he could see, and from Zyphri's explanations, there were doctors from the World Health Organization having a very different day than their Powerpoints.

He didn't see Zyphri. Actually, the desks suggested not nearly enough people were accounted for. Sam pulled up to get Spider-Man out of Doc Ock's range, then looped to give him some momentum. A superhero that could catch buses could handle it.

Doc had to have some sort of gel armor or something. Taking those feet to the chest should have stopped him cold. Sam supposed he could just be that determined; this wasn't a rational thing for a scientist to strap on four robotic arms and pursue mayhem. He decided to see how the doctor was at target acquisition, flying intercepts and crosses with Spider-Man.

Octavius fell to the pavement, his metal appendages webbed tightly together like the worst tied-together-shoes prank. Cops swarmed in, and Sam lost Spider-Man in the confusion. "Cap, how's your sit?"

The whiz of whatever those eyebeams were were audible over the comms. "They're on the ropes, just contrary."

Sam landed as firemen put a hobble onto Doc Ock's appendages. Webbing did tend to decay unexpectedly, but not on demand. Getting the harness off right now, probably a good way to get stuck to him. The cops seemed to be wearing non-stick grill mitts as they hefted Doc away, an appliance dolly keeping the claws from dragging.

He spoke with one of the officers then explained he needed to check on the UN personages. Since there were no detectives on scene so far, they let him get on with that.

"Sam!" Zyphri came out one of the doors and ran to him. He got his wings up out of the way and caught her.

He heard clapping. There was a small knot of people just outside the door she'd come from. Either the actual delegates didn't have to check their devices, or someone had gotten at one anyway. They were snapping pictures of him and Zyphri, and then of each other. "So, how was your day?"

"We made it to the stairwell." Zyphri led him back to the group by his hand. He figured out that this band had been directed out of the attack by Zyphri, who could speak languages they understood. Doc had overwhelmed the translator electronics as a prelude. He pieced that together as people took turns getting pictures with him.

* * *

Sam flew close to the water, rolling right and left, using the drag on his wings to maintain a slower speed. Below and ahead of him Zyphri was waterskiing, water dancing, tossing in somersaults and corkscrew leaps, turning into circles becoming spins. She sped up then lifted her arms outstretched.

Sam skimmed lower, reaching down. Hands clasped wrists, and he soared. Zyphri moved as if he were a fixed point trapeze, then she released into a dive, cutting air and water. He wheeled wide, JARVIS was still working on an underwater HUD view that didn't cause motion sickness.

Zyphri rose from the waves, smiling. Sam broke into aerial acrobatics, riffing on several of her underwater routines JARVIS' had enhanced. Flight, and more so falling, differed from swimming in several significant ways. This time he caught her with his palms up, so they were face to face. He slalomed as they held on, Zyphri doing the hard work of accommodating his velocity changes. She lifted herself in the hold and kissed him.

Zyphri dropped in a dive, kicked over into a tightening somersault and opened into an arrow just before plunging into the water. She regained the surface just as fast, arms outstretched, hands drooping. They moved together for a bit, then she tipped into the water and left.

Sam returned to Manhattan. Zyphri would have an extended stay in Atlantis before returning to New York. She had meetings with King Namor about her progress with the UN; not much. It was the UN. However, she'd made some good friends with representatives of various island nations. Perhaps together they could make gains regarding fishing policy.

**Author's Note:**

> By all means, if you are fluent in Portuguese or Dutch, please comment with any quick corrections! Spanish too. Thanks go out to majoline, who betaed this work.


End file.
